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Last night a good, old, classic, favorite band of mine gave their best shot in a filled out Gröna Lund. Mando Diao gave an amazing show in Stockholm’s most beautiful summer venue, and I was there to shoot.

As I have mentioned it about a hundred times now, last night 30 Seconds To Mars were in town! Their show in Stockholm was a part of the Monolith Tour 2018 and lucky us, it is not going to be the only one for this tour in Stockholm. On the 20th of August they will be back in town to play at Gröna Lund, again as a part of the Monolith Tour.

I applied about probably 10 times or even more to get photo access to the show, but Live Nation denied my application due to “Limited photographer access”. I have been wondering though since Annexet is a pretty big venue and suits at least five photographers, why did I really get shut down, while there were only three of them shooting.

I didn’t really let this pull me down, as nothing can hold me back when I am about to see on stage the man that saved me countless times. And by “saved” me, I mean both literally and figuratively.

The Monolith tour started in the beginning of April in Europe exactly when they released their new album “America”, their fifth studio album and highest Thirty Seconds to Mars charting album ever. The tickets for the tour were released in November but I didn’t have the chance to buy some in the first place. So I spent all of this time thinking that I will only see them this summer in Gröna Lund, as Live Nation announced that the show is sold out right a couple of days after the ticket release. On the other hand, I tried to find tickets in some really lame websites that charged each of them about 3000 Swedish crowns, something which is to be honest completely ridiculous. I knew though that “Sold out” on Live Nation tickets means that “we are actually going to announce that it is sold out and then about a week before the show we are going to say that there are still tickets available because the show wasn’t sold out in the first place, we just felt like saying it, that’s all.”

So after all of this up and down emotions, I couldn’t settle down with the idea that I got this band tattooed in my skin and will not be able to se them when they are in town. So luckily, I wasn’t impressed by the so-called marketing tricks and once they said that there still are tickets available, I rushed to buy some in a very reasonable price. And so the day had almost come.

If you have ever been in a Thirty Seconds to Mars show before, you will probably know that it is a colorful paradise, combined with Jared’s angelic voice and Shannon’s compelling drum beats. This time Tomo was missing from the tour due to family issues as they announced before the tour start. And so, in an almost fully packed Annexet, about 9 at night, the provocative Jesus hit the stage along with his rebellious brother and a few lucky Echelon members who were with them at the stage throughout the whole show.

First song of the night was “Up in the air”, a song that hit straight to the bone not only me but every single soul in that room. This is the part when the adrenaline rushes straight into your body and you cannot believe that this is actually happening. You will believe it eventually but not straight in the first song. Jumping up and down, heavenly screams, huge balloons, and colorful graphics, a taste of what was about to take place downtown on a Sunday night.

Eventually like I said, it will hit you. That this is actually happening right before your eyes. For a lot of people this breaking point never comes, as most of them are there to enjoy the music and the handsome presences of Jared and Shannon. But not me. Or anybody who sees these guys from the same perspective. The tears kept running hot out of my eyes like I had been suffocating the whole time and not I was able to breathe again. All I kept thinking at this deep moment was “The man who saved me, the man who saved me, the man who saved me”. At some point I could really sing along, but at some other one, I wasn’t even able to do so. It is like this moment when you feel the absolute completeness and there is nothing more missing from your life. It is almost like you have started a new one. Like you have felt the touch and essence of what it would be like in a “brave new world”. The little girl who was locked up in a room in a shitty place, a shitty reality and a supposedly profound shitty future, was finally able to breathe. She found someone to “save her from the demons in her mind”.

Sometimes I still believe that I am the little seventeen year old girl. And then I remember that I was saved. Saved by him. And his art. And after this, the story went “on and on and on.”

Have you ever felt this way? About someone? Or something? About music? Or a higher belief? If so, then you know exactly what I am talking about.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get good pictures even though I have been trying to do so, so I thought about sharing a few that I think are the most decent ones, and also a few “stolen” from the 30STM story on Instagram last night.

I hope that you will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I truly hope that you feel this way about something higher, about maybe music, or arts, or sports, or anything that serves a meaningful purpose in life. I believe that this is when you truly discover yourself and your path in this world.

Have you been part of the Monolith Tour so far? Are you going to be? I would love to hear your Mars experience! Until then, feel free to take a look at these pics!

One of my absolutely favorite bands of all times has recently announced some headline European music dates, including their first show ever in Greece. Volbeat are out on tour again, with some American touring dates, followed by a short tour in Europe including festival shows but also some headline ones.

This July the Danish\ American band is about to play their first ever show in Greece, as a part of the greek Rockwave festival in Athens on the 20th of July.

Are you going to be joining any of the following dates?

Click the link below to see full concert material of Volbeat playing at Friends arena- Stockholm this past September, as a part of their “Seal the deal and let’s boogie tour”, along with a personal Volbeat story of mine. 🙂

Last year in March, I had the pleasure to shoot these amazing guys in a full packed house in Berns- Stockholm. This year they will be playing in “Borgholm brinner” festival along with bands like Danko Jones and Graveyard.

Probably a lot of people including myself have been patiently waited for almost four years until Thirty Seconds to Mars release new music and new tour dates. Now as most of you already know, two tracks from their upcoming album have already been released, “Walk on Water” and “Dangerous night”. The band is starting their European tour tonight in Basel – Switzerland and visiting Sweden on two different dates, April 22nd and August 20th.

Click the link below to read a personal Thirty Seconds to Mars story of mine, including pictures of my 30STM tattoo.

Last Thursday was a special one because the Rival Sons were in Sweden once again on their encore European tour for their latest record “Hollow Bones”. Not a lot of dates included on this tour of theirs, but some of them include opening for the most legendary band of all times- The Rolling Stones.

A couple of days ago the Sons were in Gothenburg- Sweden for a headline show, and we were there to immortalize those special live music moments.

Here’s a glimpse of what happened in Pustervik- Gothenburg last Thursday! I hope you enjoy taking a look as much as I enjoyed taking these pictures, and please feel free to share if you feel like it!

In my personal opinion, this summer’s highlight shows in town are going to be Biffy Clyro and Rival Sons, both of which are going to play in Gröna Lund this month. Biffy Clyro are performing on the 8th of August and Rival Sons on the 18th.

Until then, here’s a pic that was taken at the Biffy Clyro show last October in Munchenbryggeriet, Stockholm – Sweden.